paper

The influence of the extent of excluded volume interactions on the linear viscoelastic properties of dilute polymer solutions

arXiv:cond-mat/0011153 · doi:10.1016/S0009-2509(01)00154-3

Abstract

The Rouse model has recently been modified to take into account the excluded volume interactions that exist between various parts of a polymer chain by incorporating a narrow Gaussian repulsive potential between pairs of beads on the Rouse chain (cond-mat/0002448). The narrow Gaussian potential is characterized by two parameters: z* - which accounts for the strength of the interaction, and d* - which accounts for the extent of the interaction. In the limit of d* going to zero, the narrow Gaussian potential tends to the more commonly used delta-function repulsive potential. The influence of the parameter d*, in the limit of infinite chain length, on equilibrium and linear viscoelastic properties, and on universal ratios involving these properties, is examined here. A renormalization group calculation of the end-to-end vector suggests that the value chosen for the variable d* will not affect critical exponents, or universal ratios. A similar trend is also observed for results obtained with an approximate solution, which is based on the assumption that the non-equilibrium configurational distribution function is Gaussian.

23 pages, 6 figures, LaTex

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